Strategy

It’s a N.M.W. thing…

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I was standing in my kitchen today, reheating leftover Pad Thai, fretting over writing an article. You see, I’ve been out of commission almost all week, feeling mentally hazy and lethargic. But several years ago, I decided that this gets done no matter what. Since I made that decision, my articles going out through my newsletter account for bringing in 25% of my business.

25 percent. That is a big deal for the 2 or so hours a week I put into it. How would you like to increase your business by 25% with 2-3 hours of focus? Back to the kitchen…

I was thinking over my No Matter What policy, and it occurred to me that it was a great topic. It actually came up last week, during my members’ M.I.T.  (Monthly Intensive Training) class on follow-up strategies. Towards the end of the class, after going over word choices, strategies, and systems, one of the participants commented, “Now if I could just make myself DO these things!”

I asked a few questions, like “When you do follow up, do people refer you more? Do they return to do more business with you? Are they happy to hear from you? Do they appreciate your professionalism?”

The answers were yes on all counts, of course. So the question to ask is not how can you make yourself do it, it’s how can you afford not to? And what are you letting keep you so busy with that you can’t do the activities that bring you clients, referrals, and/or exposure?

Here’s a tool to help you sort through the noise to get to the critical business activities. Ask yourself if each activity has a strong potential to…

  1. Bring me clients?
  2. Make money?
  3. Garner referrals?
  4. Get me in front of my target market?
  5. Be of genuine service to people who can help me with 1-4?

If not, put it to the bottom of the list. And if you find one activity that fires on all cylinders  (like my newsletter does in my business), then make it a No Matter What activity. And I mean NO MATTER WHAT.

So get off your excuses, and be an entrepreneur. It’s time to really own your business. Decide what makes you successful, and then do what it takes. You’re worth it, you’re capable, and you have time to do anything you determine is critical to your business.

Want to get moving right now? Complete an application for a FREE Big Impact Strategy Session to find out how to get your business growing.

Focus on Your Core

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A few weeks ago I created a program so that I could offer training and networking at prices that everyone can afford in this economy.

In searching for a premise for the whole thing, I finally came up with a core concept of YES. And some of you have asked why this is the focus. So of course, I’m writing about it, and maybe you can use these ideas to develop your own business.

  1. Teach what you know. What DO I know? A wide range of things… I’ve created events, started networking groups, collaborated with large organizations, received referrals from hundreds of people, taught classes on effective e-newsletters, and coached entrepreneurs for years.
  2. Boil down that knowledge to a core idea. All of these various skills boiled down to the concept of finding ways to collaborate. In other words, getting people to say YES to working together with me.
  3. Focus everything you do on that one core idea. For instance, today I’m teaching an intensive class on follow-up that is all about getting people to say yes (and it’s not what you think). In a few weeks I’m teaching a class on how to ask for what you want. It’s all about learning to collect YES in your business in a fun way.
  4. Make sure you ENJOY your core idea. I used to wonder, “What if it turns out that I am a great country singer? I don’t like country music, so would I have to make a career out of it anyway?” I know – very random. But I’d say, no, don’t be a country singer if you don’t enjoy it.

In this vein, I created a free teleclass that is in alignment with the above points. It’s called “How to Ask For What You Want (and have fun doing it!).” Click here for details and to register.

What is your core idea?

Lazy Successes

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For those of you who know me, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that I am a very driven person. I actually love working, and believe the harder I work, the more results I will get. I’m sure this is no great revelation to anyone.

But for the past two weeks, I’ve had a series of minor maladies. Things like this really annoying irritation going on in my left eye that feels like I have sand or an eyelash in it all the time. Not painful, not life-threatening, just an aggravating distraction.

As a result, I seriously don’t want to work. At all. I feel like I’ve been doing the bare minimum for a few weeks now. But the weird thing is that I’ve been seeing more results – people scheduling appointments, more clients, and new events. Puzzling.

Upon reflection, I can think of three reasons why this is happening:

  1. I’ve focused on getting only the essentials done, and have left the “fluff” behind.
  2. I’ve said no to taking on new things.
  3. I’ve relaxed and taken care of myself.

Many of you who read my blog have experience with developing a “less is more” strategy, so please share your wisdom with everyone here. I’d write more, but I have to go take a nap and put a warm compress on my eyes.

Avoiding the “Ick” Factor in Networking

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Recently I was at a Speed Networking event, and just as I was about to sit down in front of a new networking partner, I watched her lick the first two fingers of her right hand and to pick up one of her own business cards.

Now, most of us do this kind of thing from time to time in order to dislodge a topmost piece of paper. But at a networking event? Ick.

As you can imagine, I really didn’t want to shake hands with this woman, but I also didn’t want to make her feel bad, so I handled the situation the best I could. I sat down, put my hands in my lap and leaned forward – effectively trapping my hands under the table. Thankfully, my body language diplomatically said it all, and she made no move to shake my hand.

Here are a few tips on ways to be considerate and hygienic at networking events:

  1. Don’t lick your fingers to pick up paper. Obvious, but it had to be said.
  2. If you sneeze, avoid sneezing into your right hand. Best option is to sneeze into a napkin. Second best is your left hand or crook of your elbow. And if the sneeze takes you unawares and you do cover it with your right hand, go wash it right away. Also applicable for coughing.
  3. If you are sick, courteously decline to shake hands (or stay home!).
  4. Get hand sanitizer that fits in your pocket. Better yet, bring several with your logo on them, and hand them out to fellow networkers!
  5. When munching on finger food, use your left hand. At these events you tend to shake hands a lot, right? The majority of the people you meet haven’t read these tips, so you never know what you’re picking up when you shake hands with them!

Is this stuff important? For your health, yes, but also for your business.

Because as I got to know the woman I mentioned who licked her fingers, I found she was nice enough. But my very first automatic reaction to her was to cringe – not the most positive impression. In networking, you have precious little time to make a positive first impression, so anything you can do to keep people focused on your good qualities, the more successful you will be.

What do you care about?

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Contributed by guest blogger, Candy Sugarman of PlayBig Online Marketing.

One of the best things about Social Media is how easy it is for people to share information about causes and events that are important with others.

One of the worst things about Social Media is how easy it is for people to respond to shared information about causes and events.

Why is that bad? Many times people will blast out their beliefs and opinions as if they were fact, belittling others, calling names, and generally doing things they probably wouldn’t if they were in a room full of potential clients.

Here is the thing, when you post on any Social network you are letting your prospects and even potential partners see how you conduct yourself. I’m not suggesting that you stand for nothing and never voice an opinion. What am suggesting are a few rules of conduct.

What Are Your Beliefs Worth?

When I do Social Media training, I always ask this question. I generally give this example.

“I am a big conservationist, environmentalist, animal lover, tree hugger, or granola eater – whatever you want to label me. On my Social Media Networks, I will repost, comment and generally share my beliefs about these things. If a potential client sees these things and thinks ‘I don’t want to work with someone like that!’ I’m good with that. I’m okay to lose that person as a potential client. My beliefs in these areas are very important to me.”

Do I have other beliefs that I feel strongly about? Do I see posts that I want to add my two-cents to? Absolutely. But I stop and ask myself, “Is it worth losing customers over?” Then I act or don’t act accordingly.

If you need to express your opinions and beliefs, consider some of Candy’s Rules of Behavior Online:

  1. Be polite, no name calling and no writing that someone’s beliefs are wrong
  2. Better to be for something than against something
  3. Read what you wrote, read it again, read it again. Would your mother (or kids or religious leader, etc) feel that you were being rude?

With the upcoming political season remember — before you post something, before you like something, and before you comment on something, ask yourself if you are you willing to lose customers over it. If the answer is yes, go ahead and take action.

Candy Sugarman is a Social Media guru who always shows her clients stay ahead of the curve with their Social Media strategy and knowledge. To view her original article, click here.

Personal Branding with Expert Katy Goshtasbi

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Guest blogger Katy Goshtasbi is a Personal Branding expert who works on translating your personal brand to your business brand in order to increase revenues, productivity and morale. Learn more about Katy on her website, www.PurisImage.com.

What is “personal branding”? Personal branding is the process of distinguishing your relevant attributes and communicating them consistently to your audience and then it is how your audience takes in this information. In short, personal branding is about your perception value to your audience.  People buy people before they ever buy your product or service.  So what are you “known for” or what do people say about you when you are not in the room?  That is your personal brand.  In a sea of people all doing the same thing (doctors, lawyers, accountants, sales people), how are you unique and different?  To be effective it has to stand out and be memorable.

How does that fit in with your product or service? No one buys your product or service. 50% of what you do is your substantive work (ie, your product or service). The other 50% is what I perceive of you and your product or service.  Personal branding is about relatability and making a personal connection with others so they “get” you, a genuine YOU. Then they’ll buy anything you sell them.

Is it different than internet marketing? There is no comparison at all between internet marketing and personal branding. Personal branding has to be done first, as it is the foundation for your business brand and internet marketing.  Only when you have established a strong personal brand (knowing who you are, staying true to who you are and relaying that consistently and concisely to your target market) will you be able to effectively translate that into internet marketing. Otherwise, internet marketing comes across as scattered, vague and non-descript and blends into the background.

How do you know when you have a good personal brand? You know your personal brand works when you look good, feel good and produce results for others genuinely.  I want for others what happens to me as a result of my strong personal brand:  people come up to me and want to do business with me because they sense that I am self-confident, put together well, and know my “stuff” and “own” it.

Can you have a personal brand even if you work for another company (and should you?)? You can absolutely have a personal brand and work for others. We work with lots of employees in corporate America.  The key is: 1) knowing who you are and what your personal brand is, 2) knowing what the corporate/business brand is and 3) blending your personal brand well to represent the corporate brand well.

Katy Goshtasbi, JD
Founder
Puris Image
Read our Blog: http://purisimage.com